Wujiang Gorges

Wujiang River, zigzagging for more than 1,000 kilometers, is the biggest anabranch of the upper reaches of Changjiang River. Yanhe County boasts its more-than-100-kilometer-long gorges along Wujiang River.

Gorges along Wujiang River:

Jiashi Gorge: With high mountains standing erect, winds blowing hard, and waters billowing, Jiashi Gorge tops others by having the most scenic spots.

Yintong Gorge: Yingtong Gorge is zigzagging like a perplexing labyrinth.

Tutuo Gorge: High mountains and deep waters characterize Tutuo Gorge. On the high and precipitous mountains along the river grow numerous bamboos and age-old trees, where animals are chasing and birds are singing. What is most interesting is, when your boat or ship is sailing along the gorge, you may be lucky enough to see groups of monkeys climbing rattans, playing with water, scratching their heads and cheeks, or even throwing small stones to frighten tourists.

Wangtuo Gorge: Here, the river surface is narrow or wide somewhere, and the waters flow slowly or rapidly at times. The riverside verdant trees and bamboos sway elegantly, and the white fog curling upwards from hot springs in the distance can be seen clearly.

Lizhi Gorge: The entrance of Lizh Gorge seems as narrow as a door. The mountain peaks along the river, wreathed by fog and mist, appear and disappear occasionally and mysteriously. Look, the grotesque naked rock-climbing roots and rattans look quite like the stripes of Picasso’s picture, don’t they?

According to legend, in the Period of Three Kingdoms (220-280), “Man King” Menghuo, a local minority chieftain, had been captured and released for seven times respectively by Zhuge Liang (a famous military counselor of the Shu Kingdom) near Gong Beach of Wujiang River before he claimed obedience to the Shu Kingdom. He was later appointed as a senior official to strengthen national solidarity and to promote the economic and cultural development of the minority area. Later generations made his statue in a cave (now known as “Man King Cave”) opposite Gong Beach for worship and commemoration, and set the fifteenth day of the first lunar month every year as Worshipping “Man King” Day.

Surrounding scenic spots:

Mayang River Nature Reserve: Mayang River Nature Reserve covers more than 4,000 hectaresof primeval forest, where live many species of rare and precious plants and animals, of which, black-leaf apes under state first-class protection top those elsewhere in China either in number or in distribution density.

The typical karst landform here has given birth to beautiful natural landscape. The well-known Zhujia Cave located in the nature reserve is a typical example. With a path connecting the entrance and the end, the main cave stretches as long as five kilometers, grotesque stalagmites and stalactites protruding here and there. The first cave hall, 24 meters tall, covers an area of over 1,100 square kilometers. On the top of the hall there is a natural skylight circled by green bamboos.

Cat Hill: There is a natural stone forest on the mountain peak about 1.5 kilometers southwest of Yanhe County. Stepping into the stone forest, you will find as if you were in a wonderland, intoxicated by different shapes of immortal stones. At the entrance of the stone forest stands a 30-meter-high hill composed of three piling-up huge rocks, towering over other hills remarkably. Seen in the distance, it was like a cat pronating on a stone pedestal, watching alertly the Cat Beach of Wujiang River. Interestingly, behind the cat there is a big curving cypress, swaying to and fro in the breeze like its tail.